The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at Michigan State University will host United States Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack at the Universal Food Forum on Wednesday, July 12, at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C.

Secretary Vilsack will provide keynote remarks and engage in a fireside chat that will include a discussion of ongoing administration priorities and upcoming initiatives of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

“The grand challenges of the coming decades — food security, climate change and fair access to resources, to name just a few — can only be met through true collaborations across academia, government, industry, media, NGOs and the development community. This event will bring representatives from these groups together to share their viewpoints, and I’m honored that Secretary Vilsack will be joining the conversation,” said Kelly Millenbah, dean of MSU’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

The Universal Food Forum is a one-day event that will connect media with experts on a range of agricultural and food systems topics, providing a balanced view of food systems across diverse viewpoints. With a focus on nuanced discussion and open dialogue, participants will discuss the challenges and complexities surrounding global food systems. Panelists will include representatives from agriculture, government, industry, development agencies, academia and media.

Forum attendance is free to members of academia, government representatives and media, and registration information can be found on the Universal Food Forum website.  

“As an international leader in agriculture, Secretary Vilsack has a compelling vision for the U.S. food system that is resilient, equitable and globally competitive,” said Karim Maredia, assistant dean of international programs in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at MSU. “We are so pleased that he will be joining us at the Universal Food Forum to share his insights.”

The Universal Food Forum is hosted by International Programs in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. MSU has a distinguished history of state, national and global leadership in agriculture, and was founded in 1855 as the nation’s first institution of higher education to teach scientific agriculture. Working side by side with partners from industry, government, NGOs and international development agencies, scientists and educators from the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources advance sustainable food security through research, education and outreach.

Forum co-sponsors include Agri-Pulse Communications, CropLife America, CropLife International, Valent, the American Seed Trade Association, the American Feed Industry Association, the Industry Task Force II on 2, 4-D Research Data and Neogen Corporation.